End cap for cylinder-bed sewing machines



Aug. 13, 1929. c;. s. GATCHELL I END CAP FOR CYLINDER BED SEWING MACEINES Filed May 19, 1925 INVENTOR B v 9. I L ATTORNEY WITNES C.

ow 1mm resist accidental shift of the end-cap.

Patented Aug. lid, 19,29.

UITED STATES GEORGE E. G'ATCHELL, OF ROSELLE PARK,

PATENT OFFICE.

NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO THE SINGER NEW JERSEY.

END GA]? FOR CYLINDEB-BED SEWING MACHINES.

Application filed May 19,

This invention relates to end-caps for cylinder-bed sewing machines and has for an object to provide means for tightly and snugly securing the end-cap in closed position, thereby overcoming the tendency of such end-caps to become loose and rattle.

The cylinder-bed of a sewing machine has commonly secured to its free end an overhanging throat-plate; the end-cap being used to form a removable extension of the walls of the cylinder-bed to enclose the space below the overhanging throat-plate in which the looper or loopers operate. Provision is usually made for a shift or removal of the end-cap from closed position to expose the loopers for threading. Such provision commonly comprises a sliding connection between a shank on the end-cap and a slideway in the cylinder-bed. Sometimes the end-cap shank is hinged so that the end-cap may be pulled forwardly and dropped to expose the loopers.

Heretofore, however, the tendency has been for the end-cap to become loose and shift its position relative to the throat-plate. Inasmuch as it is customary to mount attachments, such as guides, hennners, &c., on such endscaps, any looseness or shift thereof alters the working position of the attachment and is detrimental to the quality of the work.

According to the present improvement provision is made for causing the end-cap to snugly hug the throatplate when in closed position, such provision being designedTlto 1e end-cap is preferably provided on each side of the throat-plate with an arm the upper free end of which overhangs and engages the adjacent edge of the throat-plate. These arms, while strong and substantial, are preferably made slightly springy and the throatplate is preferably provided with slight depressions which receive the ends of the arms and offer increased resistance to shift of the end-cap longitudinally of the cylinder-bed. The front walls of the depressions are, however, preferably not made so abrupt as to cause the spring arms to become locked in such depressions. Such walls are rounded or slanted sufiiciently to permit the arms to ride out of the depressions when the end-cap is forceably pulled forwardly.

1925. Serial No. 31,266.

A more complete understanding of the invention may be had from the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment thereof accompanied by drawings in which Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the parts of a cylinder-bed sewing machine adjacent the sewing point. the end of the cylinder-bed. Fig. 3 is a section on the line 3-3, Fig. 1. Fig. i is a perspective view of the throat-plate and Fig. 5 is a section on the line 5-5, Fig. 1.

In the drawings 1 represents the cylinder bed of a sewing machine having a head-2, presser-foot 3, reciprocating needles 4: and cooperating loopers 5. The cylinderbed 1 has secured to its forward or free end, as usual, the throat-plate 6, the forward end of which projects in front of the end of the bed-casting and overhangs the loopers 5. The space below the overhanging portion of the tl'iroat-plate in which the loopers operate is customarily enclosed by means of a hollow cylindrical end-cap 8 having a closed front end 9 to which may be secured the shank 10 of a supporting platform 11 for an attachment, such as the folder 12.

The end-cap has secured to it by screws 13 a supporting shank 1 1 having an extension 15 hinged thereto at 16. The shanks I l, 15 is slidably received in the undercut or dovetailed slideway 17 in the under side of the bed 1. The end-section 15 of the shank has a stop-screw 15 threaded into it and projecting into a slot 15 .in the bed-casting. This screw limits the sliding movement of the shanks 14, 15 and prevents complete withdrawal of such shank from its slideway. The upper portion of the cylindrical wall of the end-cap is cut away to fit under the lateral edge portions of the throat-plate.

By pulling the end-cap forwardly, the shank portion 14 and hinge-pin 16 are withdrawn from the slideway in the bed 1 whereupon the end-cap may be dropped to dotted line position, Fi 1, exposing the loopers for threading.

To steady the end-cap and cause it to fit snugly against and hug the throat-plate and resist lateral displacement permitted by wear between the end-cap shank and its supporting slideway, one or more arms 18, which are preferably slightly resilient, are

Fig. 2 a top plan view of l secured at their widened lower ends to the end-cap; the upper free ends of said arms extending beyond and inwardly from the lateral edges of the cutaway portion in the end-cap and into overhanging engagement with the lateral edge-portions of the throatplate 6. Notches 19 are preferably provided to receive the ends of the arms 18; such notches, however, are preferably not cut deep enough or with abrupt enough edgewalls to cause locking engagement of the arms 18 therewith. The engagement is preferably such that a forceable forward pull on the end-cap will cause the arms 18 to slide out of the notches 19. As the arms 18 snugly embrace or hug the throat-plate, they serve to steady the end-cap relative to the throat-plate and prevent accidental displacement or rattling of the end-cap. They also serve to maintain any guiding attachment carried by the end-cap, such as the folder12, in sewing position and insure a uniform spacing of the stitch lines from the folded edges of the work. It will be seen that the arms 18 constitute a sliding connection between the end-cap and throat-plate, which connection is separate and distinct from the sliding connection between the shank 14 of the end-cap and the bed-casting 1.

Having thus set forth the nature of the invention, what I claim herein is In a sewing machine, in combination, a cylinder-bed, a throat-plate carried by and overhanging the free end of said cylinderbed, an end-cap having an unyielding cylindrical wall cut away to fit against the under-side of said throat-plate and tightly enclose the space below the latter, and a pair of resilient arms secured to said end-cap and having their upper free ends extended inwardly across the edges of the throatplate and bearing downwardly upon the throat-plate.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification.

GEORGE S. GATCHELL. 

